fighter
by tatty ted
Summary: Christine breaks some devastating news to Robert. - —Christine/Robert friendship.


ϟ

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**fighter  
**_if i could just see you_

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Christine volunteers to tell Robert about Izzy because she cares. It's not a job any of them particularly enjoy but she'd rather it'd be her than someone like Louise or Mike — she owes him that at least.

It never gets easier informing a loved one of a death. She still gets that nervousness inside, the sticky palms, the racing heart. She knew all the right things to say, the smiles, the sensitive way to ask about organ donation without it coming across as heartless. Today was different. Today wasn't about telling _someone_ their loved one had died. Today was about informing a colleague that their wife, the mother of their son had died. Today was different.

She finds her hand shaking as she picks up the telephone and dials his number. Pressing the telephone to her ear, she takes a deep breath.

_"Hello?"_

"Robert," she takes a deep breath, "it's Christine."

_"Chris? What's wrong?"_

She takes a deep breath again but doesn't speak. There's just silence between both of them on the phone. She's used to these conversations, telling people they have to come to hospital because there's been accident. It's just so much harder where Robert's involved.

"There's been an accident," the line goes dead and Christine realises he's probably guessed its something to do with Izzy. Still staring at the phone, she put it down and braced herself for when Robert actually arrived, braced herself for informing him Izzy had died, they'd _tried everything they could._

She tries to make herself a cup of tea but she's distracted because Izzy wasn't just Robert's wife and Harry's mother, she was also Christine's friend.

It doesn't seem five minutes after the phone call that Cathy's stood by the door informing her that Robert had arrived and was asking for her. Christine nodded, took a deep breath and left the staff room heading back to the department.

"Robert?"

"Chris what's happened? Is it Izzy?"

She swallows. She's about to open her mouth to answer but finds she can't. The words are on the tip of her tongue but she can't bring herself to say them, the lump in her throat is stopping her. She swallows hard and nods her head instead before telling him he'd be better off in the relatives room.

He senses it's bad news. It has to be, why else would Christine be the one to phone, why is he been taken to the relative's room?

"She's dead isn't she?" He blurts out and his own outburst surprises him. He desperately scans Christine's face for any sign that he's wrong but inside he knows he's right. Izzy's gone, she's dead.

"I'm sorry," Christine whispers and its that line again, the one she finds herself repeating every time she's in this situation (_we tried everything we could) _but it isn't enough to provide comfort, how can it? Izzy's gone and Robert's just lost the love of his life.

He doesn't break down at first. He's just silent. He's used to death, it happens on a daily basis and there's nothing they can do to prevent it, it's beyond their control. Yet his patients aren't his wife, patient's deaths don't hurt. Izzy's death does hurt, it hurts and he doesn't think it'll ever stop hurting.

It's only then he realises he's clutching Christine's hand tightly, "can I see her?"

She nods her head. She isn't going to stop Robert from seeing Izzy, he needs to say goodbye and come to terms with her death in his own time. Letting go off his hand, she stands up and walks towards the door telling Robert she's going to make sure Izzy's presentable.

Closing the door behind her, Christine's certain she hears him cry but she knows nothing she says will bring him comfort. This time of his life is supposed to be the happiest but it isn't, it's tinted by grief and she knows she can't do a thing about it accept be there when he needs somebody to talk too and be there to pick up the pieces, like he did for her.

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**jottings** / only seen two episodes of **always & everyone** but I love it.  
if you like it enough to favourite, please could you leave a review?:3


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